Fire-escape.



PATENTED MAY 15, 1906.

J. G. GOVERT. PIRE ESCAPE.

APPLIGATION FILED Amm, 1905.

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uNrrED lSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May i5, 1906.

Application filed April 6, 1905. Serial No. 254.153.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMEs C. COVERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Watervliet,in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings. p

This invention relates to improvements in fire-escapes of that general type disclosed in my Patent No. 712,504, dated November 4, 1902, wherein hand and foot rails spaced a convenient distance apart are mounted upon the walls of buildings within easy access from the windows thereof, said rails leading to ladders or the like by means of which occupants of the building may readily descend to the ground or other points of safety; and the primary object of the present invention is the provision of a simple though strong and durable bracket designed to support said rails and adapted to be placed in position or built into the wall of the building as the latter is being constructed, whereby said bracket is permanently held in position by the coaction of the inner end thereof with the surrounding bricks or blocks and the mortar or other cementitious binding substance therebetween.

'An embodiment of the invention comprises a bracket formed of sheet-steel adapted to be inserted between the ends of a pair of adj oining bricks, with the flat surfaces of the bracket facing said ends and the edges thereof respectively overlying and underlying those bricks which are above and below the two bricks referred to. The outer end of the bracket is provided with a receiving portion for the hand or foot rail, as the case may be.

Such an embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof and the novel details in the construction and arrangement of the several parts of the device and combination will be apparent upon an inspection of said drawings, in connection with the detailed description hereinafter contained.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a fragmentary portion of a building, showing a hand-rail mounted thereon adjacent to a window, said rail being supported in place through the medium of my improved brackets. Fi 2 is a similar view, somewhat enlarged, the inner end of the bracket being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a detail horizontal sectional view illustrating the manner of Securing the bracket intermediate the ends of adjoining bricks and also means for fastening the end of the rail to the bracket to prevent longitudinal or rotary slippage of the former, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the bracket detached.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, wherein like reference characters' refer to corresponding parts in the several views, A designates the wall of a building, B a window therein, and O a hand-rail secured to the face of the building, it being noted that I propose to also use a foot-rail, as suggested in my patent above mentioned, although it is unnecessary to further refer to the latter in the present case. C in place comprises a series of brackets F, (clearly shown in Fig. 4,) the same being conveniently formed of sheet-steel adapted to be interposed between a pair of bricks D and E, With the flat surfaces f thereof facing the ends of said bricks and the top and bottom edges j" thereof respectively overlying and underlying those bricks which are above and below the two bricks referred to and represented at G and H.

The inner end of the bracket is offset, as at I, to form a flange adapted to abut against the back edge of the brick D, whereby a broad fiat bearing is afforded to overcome any tendency of the bracket to work loose or withdraw from its proper position between the bricks D and E. The coaction of the inner end of the bracket and the surrounding bricks or blocks is alone probably sufficient to permanently hold the same in place 3 but the mortar or other cementitious binding substance J ordinarily employed in the construction of the wall most eectually forms the whole into a unitary structure or mass, so that the bracket is so firmly anchored that it will resist even more strain than that to which it would ordinarily be subjected under the combined weight of persons occupying the adjoining portions of the rail to its utmost capacity. It will thus be appreciated that although the bracket is simple in structure it is one offering abundant safety when in use and one which will be a fixture always at hand when once mounted in place.

There are a number of ways in whichr the outer end of the bracket may be formed for the reception and retention of the rail C; but I prefer to provide an eccentrically-disposed opening K therein of a contour to conform to the shape of the rail, therailhinthis instance The means for supporting the rail IOC being cylindrical and the opening circular. The purpose of this eccentric arrangement of the opening K is to provide a thickened and strong base portion c'to support the weight upon the rail and a relatively narrowor minimum width k at the top by which latter practically no obstruction is presented to the sliding movement of a hand upon the rail or to trip the foot of a user. from Fig. 4, this reinforced or enlarged b ase portion extends not only directly beneath and rearwardly of the opening, but also forwardly of the lower half of said opening, which otherwise would obviously be a relatively weak point.

When, as before stated, the rail is cylindrical and the opening correspondingly circular, it is desirable that some means be employed to prevent turning of the rail relative to the brackets, and to that end I thread the ends of the rail, as at c c', for the reception of oppositely-disposed binding-nuts L and M,`

adapted to impinge'upon the opposite faces f of the bracket. This connection also preveilits longitudinal or endwise slipping of the rai It is to be understood that the invention is susceptible of other embodiments than that set forth herein.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. In a hre-escape the combination of supporting-brackets, a hand or foot rail carried thereby, and means operatively associated with one of the brackets and the end of said rail for preventing turning or endwise move ment of the rail relative to the bracket comprising a threaded portion of the rail and a pair of nuts engaging said threaded portion adapted to impinge upon the opposite sides of the bracket.

2. A bracket for fire-escapes having an inner portion adapted to be secured to a wall and an outer portion provided with an eccentrically-arranged receiving-opening for a rail.

3. A bracket for fire-escapes having an inner portion adapted to be secured to a wall and an outer portion having an opening adapted to engage a rail, the base of said railengaging portion both directly beneath and forwardly of said opening being reinforced.

4. A bracket for nre-escapes having an inner portion adapted to be secured to a wall and an outer portion having an inclosed opening adapted to receive a rail, the base of said rail-engaging portion both directly beneath and forwardly of said opening being reinforced and the top thereof above said opening minimized.

5. A bracket for fire-escapes having an inner portion adapted to be secured to a wall As will be noted Yand an outer portion provided with an eccentrically-arranged receiving-opening for a rail, the base of the bracket beneath said opening being relatively thick and the top thereof above said opening relatively thin.

6. A bracket for fire-escapes formed of sheet metal having an inner securing edgewise vertically disposed portion adapted to be embedded between the bricks of a wall and an outer similarly-disposed portion provided with a transverse receiving-opening for a rail.

7. In combination with a wall, a hand or foot rail, and means for securing the latter in place comprising a series of sheet-metal brackets, each having a securing portion embedded between adjoining bricks, the fiat surfaces of the bracket facing the ends of the bricks and the edges thereof respectively overlying and underlying the bricks above and below said first-mentioned bricks, and an outer portion provided with a receivingopening for the rail.

8. In combination with a wall, a hand or foot rail, and means for securing the latter in place comprising a series of sheet-metal brackets, each having a securing portion provided with an offset end and embedded between adjoining bricks, the fiat surfaces of the bracket facing the ends of the bricks and the edges thereof respectively overlying and underlying the bricks `above and below said first-mentioned bricks, and an outer portion provided with a receiving-opening for the rail.

9. In a fire-escape, the combination with a wall, of a hand or foot rail, and means for mounting said rail on the wall comprising a series of edgewise vertically disposed sheetmetal brackets having inner portions embedded in said wall and-outer portions provided With transverse receiving-openings for the rail.

10. In a fire-escape, the combination with a wall, of a hand or foot rail, and means for mounting said rail on the wall comprising a series of edgewise vertically disposed sheetmetal brackets having offset inner portions embedded in said wall and outer portions provided with transverse receiving-openings for the rail.

11. A bracket for fire-escapes formed of 'sheetv metal having an inner securing portion adapted to be embedded in awall, and an outer portion formed to provide an eccentrically-arranged transverse receiving-opening for a rail.

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In testimony whereof I affix my signature 

